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Team orders: needless or necessary? 7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – "Get him (Webber) out of the way, he is too slow," Sebastian Vettel disdainfully remarked over team radio at last month's Malaysia Grand Prix. The German was instructed not to challenge Webber, who was leading the race, but ignored orders and overtook the Australian with ten laps remaining. Vettel's tactics caused much consternation on social media and reopened the debate about the practicality of team orders in Formula 1.

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – Vettel leads Webber during the Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang in March. It's not the first time team orders have caused rifts between drivers.

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – Awkward scenes on the podium at the 2010 German Grand Prix after Felipe Massa (left) surrendered the lead to his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso when the team told him that the Spaniard had the faster car.

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – Rubens Barrichello (right) looks far from content as teammate Michael Schumacher has a quiet word on the podium following the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, which the German controversially won. The Brazilian, who spent six years as Schumacher's deputy at Ferrari, says he empathizes with Webber's position at Red Bull.

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – Barrichello led the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix before ceding position to his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher. Team orders were banned the following season.

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – "El Maestro" Juan Manuel Fangio (left) and Stirling Moss engaged in discussion following the 1957 Italian grand Prix at Monza, which the Englishman won. The pair were teammates at Mercedes in 1955. "The team has always been the most important thing," says Moss. "Once you're with a company you really have to do what they tell you to. It's a professional business with very big money, which it wasn't (when I drove). Drivers are being paid like film stars now."

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Team orders: needless or necessary?7 photos

Team orders: needless or necessary? – Moss (left) trails behind Fangio at the Italian Grand Prix in 1956. "I'm glad I raced when I did and not now because the pleasure was so much more then and the racing certainly was purer," Moss says.

A second place in the opening race of the season in Australia and another assured performance in Shanghai has given those backing the Spaniard for the title cause for confidence.

"Every year, especially in Ferrari, especially every campaign you start people expect only wins from you, the World Championship," Alonso added.

"Every race is more or less the same. Every season I've started in Formula One, this is the 13th, there is a battle with teammates, always discussions.

"So this year is no different. I think pressure is always there sometimes. As I said, you can deliver a good result, everyone is happy.

F1: 2013 season preview 7 photos

F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

Looking to Lewis – After 15 years with McLaren, Lewis Hamilton has flown the nest and landed in the Mercedes garage. The 2008 world champion is being tipped for success in 2013, with his new teammate Nico Rosberg showing in preseason that the new Mercedes is capable of topping the timesheets.

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

To the four? – But if Hamilton is to win a second drivers' championship, he will have to overcome triple world champion Sebastian Vettel. The German has taken the title in each of the last three years, with his Red Bull team also leaving other manufacturers trailing in their wake.

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

Red Bull's rear-view mirror – The title race will not be as simple as Vettel vs. Hamilton. A fired-up Fernando Alonso missed out on the 2012 crown by just three points, and the double world champion will be looking to challenge at the front of the grid given the improvements in his Ferrari following last season's design problems.

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

Five first-timers – Five rookies will be on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix, including Valtteri Bottas (pictured) who will be behind the wheel for Williams. Caterham drafted in Giedo van der Garde, while Esteban Gutierrez makes his debut for Sauber and Marussia boast an all-rookie line up of Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton.

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

Burned rubber – Pirelli will serve as the official tire supplier in the final season of its three-year contract. The new tire is made of a softer rubber than its 2012 equivalent, with lap times expected to increase by up to half a second.

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F1: 2013 season preview7 photos

Grid shrinks – There will be 11 teams lining up for the first race in Melbourne following the collapse of Spanish outfit HRT after three seasons without scoring a point.

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Monisha Kaltenborn 7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Monisha Kaltenborn, seen here at the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in July 2011, is the first woman to become CEO and team principal of a Formula 1 team.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Kaltenborn said she grew up watching Grand Prix as a child but never imagined it would become her career.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – "The first time I came to the factory and saw what it takes to make a Formula 1 car, it became a passion," said Kaltenborn.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Even before taking over as team principal, Kaltenborn played a key trackside role in Grand Prix races.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Kaltenborn said she is not disturbed by the use of "grid girls", seen here at the 2011 Korean Grand Prix, in Formula 1. "I think girls are prettier to look at than if you had men in those roles," she said.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Kaltenborn, seen here at a school in Delhi, India, is involved in the FIA's F1 In Schools project, which teaches students about all roles in motorsport from engineering to marketing to finance.

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Monisha Kaltenborn7 photos

Monisha Kaltenborn – Kaltenborn with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi at the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix. Kobayashi competed for Sauber from 2010 to 2012, but has now been replaced by Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg.

Vettel defies team orders – Webber had led after coming out of his final pit stop with 13 laps to go in Sepang, but Vettel claimed victory after defying team orders to overtake while the Australian was following instructions to conserve his car.

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Vettel defies team orders5 photos

Vettel defies team orders – They shared the podium with third-placed Lewis Hamilton, whose Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg obeyed team orders and did not attack the English driver even though he felt he was quicker.

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Vettel defies team orders5 photos

Unlucky 200 for Alonso – Fernando Alonso won the race last year, but his 200th career grand prix was less successful. The Ferrari driver damaged his front wing early on and then made the mistake of staying out on the track too long and was not able to finish.

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Vettel defies team orders5 photos

McLaren's mistake – Jenson Button's car is pushed back to the pit area after his crew let the McLaren leave with a loose front wheel. It ruined the 2009 world champion's chances of earning points and he retired before the end of the race. However, his new Mexican teammate Sergio Perez finished ninth.

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"Sometimes you cannot do it and you need to improve. I think we've been working very hard this winter with the team and after the first two races as well.

"These three weeks were very useful for us in Maranello, working out a little bit which way we can perform a little bit better, especially in qualifying which is one of our problems.

"I'm very happy with the job done and I'm in the best team, so I should be confident that everything will go in the right direction."

While Alonso's performance grabbed the attention, it was another bad day for Red Bull, which was fined $6,500 after the Australian's right-rear wheel came off during the race.

Webber, who was involved in a row with teammate Vettel after the German ignored team orders at the Malaysian Grand Prix, was forced out of the race after just 16 laps following a collision with Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne.

Webber had been ordered into the pits following the incident and the loss of his tyre on the track caused several cars to swerve in a bid to avoid a crash.

The Red Bull driver was then hit with a three place penalty for the Bahrian Grand Prix following the crash with Vergne -- an incident which he maintains wasn't his fault.

"I was coming from a reasonable distance behind, Jean-Eric was really wide, but when we came close to the apex he wanted to hit it, which he is entitled to do, but by then I was committed to the inside and the incident happened," he told reporters.

"It was a couple of laps before our pit-stop window, so I had to come in early.

How good is Sebastian Vettel? 14 photos

How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Case for greatness – Sebastian Vettel celebrates with his team and admirers after a pulsating race at Interlagos in Brazil. But where does the Red Bull driver rank in the pantheon of F1's virtuosos?

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Dizzying denouement – On Sunday, Vettel fought off feisty toreador Fernando Alonso to capture the drivers' title in a dizzying denouement and join an elite band of Formula One world champions.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Hard drive – It is mark of Vettel's greatness that he had come to from behind at Interlagos after a nightmare start on the opening lap when he was hit on the fourth turn and suffered damage to his car. It left Vettel at the back of the grid but by the 24th lap the Red Bull racer had clawed his way back to fifth place.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Schumacher verdict – "Even if he appears to have a car that makes it possible for him, nevertheless he has to do it," said seven-time world champon Michael Schumahcer of Vettel's achievements.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Special driver – "He's going for it 200% and it's a very tough job," added Schumacher of Vettel's talent. "He managed to pull it out and that is the extra effort that comes from him and to do this so consistently is very special."

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Newey genius – The 2012 season demonstrated that if you want to get ahead in F1 make sure you have a good engineer in your team. Arguably there is no better engineer in the sport than Adiran Newey.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Schumacher domination – "Schumacher had five consecutive titles but that was in a period when Ferrari had influence on tyre development," said former McLaren GP winner John Watson.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Rare talent – "The interesting part is that this championship has been so hard-fought and it didn't really come together until the last races,"said 1978 champion Mario Andretti. "This season has been one of the best in memory. Vettel is one of the rare talents that don't come along very often."

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Best designed car – "Vettel is making the most of the best design in F1," added Andretti.who is one of only two American drivers to have won the Formula One title. Here Andretti (R) is seen talking to Stirling Moss, during the championship winning season in 1978.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

F1's dark days – When Schumacher won his first world title with Benetton in 1994 it was also one of F1's darkest periods. The German won the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 where both Simtek racer Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna lost their lives.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Ecclestone acclaim – Vettel celebrates with Formule One supremo Bernie Ecclestone following his title win in Brazil.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Prost record – Vettel is now chasing after Frenchman Alain Prost , who won four drivers' titles.

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

The slaughter era – "Fangio is my hero," said former McLaren GP winner Watson. "Why I respect him is that he won five world championships in an era when motor racing was fundamentally a slaughter."

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How good is Sebastian Vettel?14 photos

Vettel's quest – Vettel aims to join Prost next year -- then five-time winner Fangio and Schumacher's magnificent seven are all that are ahead of him in his quest for total greatness.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Winning pair – Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were long-time rivals before they became teammates at McLaren.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Suzuka showdown – Prost and Senna (No.1) clash at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 1989. Prost clinched the title after the Brazilian was controversially disqualified after winning the race.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Uneasy rivalry – As they both battled for world titles at McLaren, Prost and Senna's relationship came under great strain.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Rivalry boils over – Stand off: Senna and Prost walk away after the early crash at Suzuka in the final race of the 1990 season which left the Brazilian as world champion.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

McLaren dominance – Prost's time with McLaren proved the most fruitful of his career as he captured three world titles.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

The Professor – Prost earned the nickname 'The Professor' for his thoughtful and studied approach to Formula One racing.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Monaco master – Prost competing in wet conditions at the Monaco Grand Prix which he won four times during his glittering career.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Good times – Prost and Senna formed a united team in 1988 as the latter won the championship for McLaren.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Imola tragedy – The medical team at Imola tend to the stricken Senna after his fateful crash in the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

Senna mourned – Prost joined a pantheon of Formula One greats at Senna's funeral in Sao Paulo in 1994.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

The young pretender – In the latter part of career Prost had to battle with the youthful exuberance of future seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

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United in rivalry: Prost and Senna 12 photos

From four to two wheels – Prost is a keen cyclist and is pictured here at the end of the 2009 L'Etape du Tour. The race enables 8,500 amateur cyclists to attempt a mountain stage of the Tour de France each year. The 2009 event was staged between Montelimar and Mout Ventoux, with Prost finishing 258th.

"The guys thought the tire was fixed when we left the stop, but it came off on the out lap. We have had a few problems this weekend; I think we could have done something from our start position today, but it wasn't meant to be."